Lords question UK and German experts on EU energy policy

30 October 2012

In the first evidence session of their new inquiry, the House of Lords Agriculture, Fisheries, Environment and Energy EU Sub-Committee will be speaking to EU climate and energy policy experts on Wednesday 31 October.

The Committee’s new inquiry, EU energy: decarbonisation and economic competitiveness, is set against the backdrop of the need to both boost economic growth throughout the EU and to meet carbon reduction objectives. In that light, it is investigating how the cost of energy can be kept under control, while encouraging investment that will assist with decarbonisation.

The Committee will be hearing from:

Mr Stephen Tindale, Associate Fellow, Centre for European Reform; and

Herr Karsten Neuhoff, Head of Climate Policy at the German Institute for Economic Research, DIW Berlin.

Herr Neuhoff will be appearing via videolink.

The witnesses will face questions on issues including:

their views on whether EU energy policy should be driven by reducing costs or boosting investment;

the respective roles of gas, nuclear, coal and renewable energy, and whether targets should be used to promote one technology over another;

investing substantial amounts of money in energy infrastructure at a time of economic instability;

the true potential for energy efficiency to help reduce emissions, costs and energy dependence; and

how the cost of carbon can be pushed up into order to encourage low-carbon investment.

The evidence session will take place from 11am on Wednesday 31 October in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords and will be webcast live at www.parliamentlive.tv.

The evidence session is also open to the public. Journalists wishing to attend should go to Parliament’s Cromwell Green Entrance and should allow time for security screening.